AIO 1049 Support for orphans of men killed under the oligarchy, ca. 410 BC?

Support for orphans of men killed under the oligarchy, ca. 410 BC?

AIO 1049 Date: ca. 410 BC?

The Council and People decided.^[1] Antiochis^X was the prytany; -s was secretary; Kallisthenes was chairman. Theozotides proposed:^[2] as many Athenians as died a violent (5) death^[3] in the oligarchy while supporting (boēthontes) the democracy, to the [children]^[4] of these, because of the benefaction (euergesias) of their fathers towards the Athenian People and their manly virtue (andragathias),^[5] to give (didonai) to the children of [all?] these (10) an obol a day [maintenance like that which? (trophēn hoianper? an)] they give (apodidōsi) to the orphans . . . the city hall (prutaneio-) . . . them . . . take care . . . . . . (15) let him or it scrutinise (dokimasatō) them . . . give (didonai) them (?) (aut-) . . . just as [to the war orphans] the Greek treasurers (hellēnotamias) . . . just as the orphans . . . (20) of the Athenians . . . . . . and . . . it or him or them . . . . . . . . . Illegible, probably a list of names, occupying max. 126 lines across 6 columns

Inscribed on left side of stele^[6] Kleoboulos (25) son of Androkles, Androkles son of Androkles,^[7] (both) of Aphidna. Uninscribed space Lysanias (30) son of Olympichos, Hippon son of Olympichos, (both) of Kydathenaion; (35) Athenaios son of Philonautes of Alopeke; (40) Charikles son of Chairedemos, Chairedemos (45) son of Chairedemos (both) of Kol[onai?].

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Greek text

References:

AIO 1049 (Translated text) (AIO)

SEG 28.46

SEG 61.51

SEG 67.28

Agora XVI 106A (PHI)

Matthaiou, Ta en tei stelei, 71-81

OR 178

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Robin Osborne

Images: Agora Excavations - (1)
Ohio - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Council and People)

Findspot: Agora (Ag. I 7169)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] The top of the stone shows signs that another stone was attached above, which will have carried a relief, together perhaps with the archon’s name and the invocation, “Gods”. Our text is based largely on the revised text of Matthaiou 2011, but incorporates also some of the supplements proposed by Stroud in his first edition, Hesp. 40, 1971, 280-301 (SEG 28.46). [2] Athens had long provided financial support for war orphans (e.g. Thuc. 2.46.1), perhaps referred to in ll. 11, 17 and 19. By this decree that support was extended to those “who died a violent death in the oligarchy”. This perhaps implies the regime of the Four Hundred in 411 (in inscriptions the later oligarchy of 404/3 is normally referred to as “the Thirty”), as also probably does the number of dead implied here, ca. 35-45, which is much less than the 1500 victims of the Thirty claimed in the 4th century (e.g. Isok. 7.67; Aischin. 3.235; Ath. Pol. 35.4), and more in line with the “not many” who were killed by the Four Hundred according to Thuc. 8.70. Theozotides (probably of Athmonon) is well-known. Two of his sons were pupils of Socrates (Plato Apol. 33e). In ca. 400 he proposed a rider to an honorary decree concerned to enhance the care offered to some persons whom the Athenians had honoured (SEG 14.36, revising IG II² 5, Davies, APF pp. 222-3). Lysias Frs. 64.128-150 Carey are from a speech attacking him for making an illegal proposal (graphē paranomōn) to limit support for orphans to those who were legitimate sons, excluding bastard sons and adopted sons. It is unclear precisely how this proposal relates to our decree (see most recently J. H. Blok, ZPE 193, 2015, 95-96). [3] The Greek tends to imply execution or murder rather than death in battle. The same phrase is used e.g. of the potential assassination of Arybbas, former king of Molossia, and his children, IG II³ 1, 411, ll. 36-38. [4] Those listed are all in fact males. Doubtless female orphans, if unmarried, were expected to be financially dependent on their male relations. The city did, however, take responsibility for orphan estates (Ath. Pol. 56.6). [5] Decrees of the Assembly honouring Athenian citizens only began to be routinely inscribed in the 340s (cf. IG II³ 1, 301). Earlier cases are very rare, and, in effect if not strictly in form, this is the earliest extant. It is probably not coincidental that the decree praises those who, as was believed of the democratic heroes Harmodios and Aristogeiton, had fallen opposing “tyranny”, and that the wording here was also used of those prototypical Athenians honoured by the city (“benefactors”, Aischin. 1.132, “honoured for their manly virtue”, implying physical courage, Isok. 5 Dikaiog. 47). Cf. IG I³ 131 ll. 5-8. [6] These names, which are inscribed in three different hands, seem to have been later additions to the list presumably inscribed on the front. [7] Perhaps the Androkles who was murdered by young supporters of the Four Hundred (Thuc. 8.65-66).

Added: 9 May 2016
Updated: 8 Jan 2024
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ID: AIO_1049